Determinants of home care utilization: who uses home care in Ontario?

The Ontario household sample of the 1994/95 National Population Health Survey (NPHS) Health file was linked to the Ontario Home Care Administrative System database to explore the relationship between individual survey respondent characteristics and home care utilization in the year following the survey to evaluate the relevant predictors of home care utilization. The prevalence of home care use among study subjects was 4.3 per cent. The factors independently associated with an increased probability of future home care use were age 75 and older; limitations in Activities of Daily Living/Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (ADLs/IADLs); poorer health status; and prior home care use. Further work is needed to better understand the factors associated with utilization in order to better define the purpose and goals of home care and assist in the development of home care funding models.